Reading the first three chapters of Humankind: A Hopeful History by Rutger Bregman is startling, an invitation to trust what's the hardest to trust: humans. "In God we trust" is easy. "In myself I trust" is easy. Bregman's ask is hard, but I am motivated not only by the urgency of the efficacy of such faith in humanity, but also, as he lays it out here, by science and history.
Bergman’s statement struck me: “Basically we are trained to see selfishness everywhere.”
That feels like a deep and treacherous ditch—one that can seem impossible to climb out of.
I’m curious to hear others’ thoughts on how we’ve constructed this ditch. (I hear you, Monte, and I to think about how in the name of Christianity we have contributed to it.) What makes this ditch so powerful? Why is it so tempting? To believe we are nothing more than a “stinking sack of sinfulness” feels shouting to shame,,” hey get in here this is your home !” inviting it in as if it owns the place. So then, what does the journey out look like?
For some years, I’ve been exploring the idea of the unerasable image of God. A lot of that was driven by what I saw during the 1994 Rwandan genocide against the Tutsi
However for the past 20 months, I’ve been test-driving an idea—a belief:
What if the essence, the very center of who we are, is a seed of unerasable love?
What if each of us carries a love-core seed planted deep inside—a seed meant to grow, to fuel our thoughts and shape our actions?
But if such a seed is there, why don’t we know about it? How does it get choked, scorched, buried—or most of all, left undiscovered?
To be honest, I think I’ve lived most of my life out of a false sense of self, taught that instead of a love-seed, a selfish seed was planted in me at birth. I believed that lie—and lived from it—for more than 60 years.
But these last 20 months, what began as “test-driving” this love-core has turned into ownership. And WOW!
Thanks so much for creating this space. I’m really looking forward to ongoing conversations.
Hi Carl. So great to hear from you and have you in this community!!
I resonate strongly with your words and love the idea of the new belief you shared. "A seed of unerasable love." It is a great concept and beautiful picture. At this point in my experience it feels like a constant battle to make the choice to view the world this way. I love the book because it is giving rational arguments in support of the idea ... but on the street level, it feel like every message we receive is negative. Thanks to media, religious institutions and theologies, Hobbes and others. You are evil, selfish, undependable, weak, under-resourced, helpless, stuck, victimized etc. Add to that the common messages about the future of our planet and it is no wonder people are depressed.
But when we slow down, breathe, look at the sky or trees, it doesn't take long to begin to sense that there is a seed of unerasable love hiding inside. If we can learn to listen to our core, I think we can hear it. Sounds a bit mystical doesn't it?! Here's a new battle cry ... "Release the seed!"😁😉
Hello everyone! How's your Week 1 reading going?
Reading the first three chapters of Humankind: A Hopeful History by Rutger Bregman is startling, an invitation to trust what's the hardest to trust: humans. "In God we trust" is easy. "In myself I trust" is easy. Bregman's ask is hard, but I am motivated not only by the urgency of the efficacy of such faith in humanity, but also, as he lays it out here, by science and history.
Humankind
The prologue had me hook line and sinker!
Bergman’s statement struck me: “Basically we are trained to see selfishness everywhere.”
That feels like a deep and treacherous ditch—one that can seem impossible to climb out of.
I’m curious to hear others’ thoughts on how we’ve constructed this ditch. (I hear you, Monte, and I to think about how in the name of Christianity we have contributed to it.) What makes this ditch so powerful? Why is it so tempting? To believe we are nothing more than a “stinking sack of sinfulness” feels shouting to shame,,” hey get in here this is your home !” inviting it in as if it owns the place. So then, what does the journey out look like?
For some years, I’ve been exploring the idea of the unerasable image of God. A lot of that was driven by what I saw during the 1994 Rwandan genocide against the Tutsi
However for the past 20 months, I’ve been test-driving an idea—a belief:
What if the essence, the very center of who we are, is a seed of unerasable love?
What if each of us carries a love-core seed planted deep inside—a seed meant to grow, to fuel our thoughts and shape our actions?
But if such a seed is there, why don’t we know about it? How does it get choked, scorched, buried—or most of all, left undiscovered?
To be honest, I think I’ve lived most of my life out of a false sense of self, taught that instead of a love-seed, a selfish seed was planted in me at birth. I believed that lie—and lived from it—for more than 60 years.
But these last 20 months, what began as “test-driving” this love-core has turned into ownership. And WOW!
Thanks so much for creating this space. I’m really looking forward to ongoing conversations.
Hi Carl. So great to hear from you and have you in this community!!
I resonate strongly with your words and love the idea of the new belief you shared. "A seed of unerasable love." It is a great concept and beautiful picture. At this point in my experience it feels like a constant battle to make the choice to view the world this way. I love the book because it is giving rational arguments in support of the idea ... but on the street level, it feel like every message we receive is negative. Thanks to media, religious institutions and theologies, Hobbes and others. You are evil, selfish, undependable, weak, under-resourced, helpless, stuck, victimized etc. Add to that the common messages about the future of our planet and it is no wonder people are depressed.
But when we slow down, breathe, look at the sky or trees, it doesn't take long to begin to sense that there is a seed of unerasable love hiding inside. If we can learn to listen to our core, I think we can hear it. Sounds a bit mystical doesn't it?! Here's a new battle cry ... "Release the seed!"😁😉
Yes, uncover, water, nourish the seed. It all starts with believing it’s there…
Hey Monte, can you please copy and past this comment to our new place for all chat about the book, thank you? https://open.substack.com/chat/posts/296259f7-e122-4c2e-b70b-959dc57ce8dc
Hey Carl, can you please copy and past this comment to our new place for all chat about the book, thank you? https://open.substack.com/chat/posts/296259f7-e122-4c2e-b70b-959dc57ce8dc